By Smartencyclopedia & Agencies
On Tuesday, September 17th, Lebanon witnessed a series of coordinated pager explosions—communication devices still widely used by Hezbollah. The explosions, which occurred almost simultaneously across different parts of the country, left thousands injured and caused several deaths. As global experts share their theories about what could have caused this unprecedented attack, suspicion is mounting that it was the result of a highly sophisticated intelligence operation.
One of the main theories being discussed is the possibility of a cyberattack, which could have caused the lithium batteries in the pagers to overheat and explode. However, some experts find this explanation less likely, given the technical complexity involved. David Kennedy, a former analyst with the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA), told CNN that a direct cyberattack would be “too large in scale” to remotely overload the devices and cause mass battery explosions. Kennedy instead suggested it was more plausible that human agents infiltrated Hezbollah, and the pagers were physically tampered with, loaded with explosives that were triggered by a specific message.
Kennedy emphasized that an attack of this magnitude would require complex intelligence coordination and sophisticated sabotage in the supply chain. This implies that the pagers may have been altered during manufacturing or transport before being delivered to Hezbollah. “It’s more likely that Israel had human agents inside Hezbollah and that the pagers were rigged with explosives, designed to detonate upon receiving a specific signal,” Kennedy explained.
This theory is supported by direct accusations from Hezbollah, Lebanon, and other groups, all of which have pointed to Israel as the main suspect behind the explosions. Although the Israeli military has declined to comment, cybersecurity and intelligence experts don’t rule out Israel’s involvement, citing previous incidents where Israeli operatives used explosive-laden cell phones to target enemies, as documented in the book Rise and Kill First.
Paul Christensen, a lithium-ion battery safety expert at Newcastle University, also questions the likelihood of battery failure. Speaking to Reuters, Christensen noted that the level of damage caused by the pager explosions is inconsistent with known cases of lithium battery malfunctions, suggesting that the devices were tampered with to cause such destruction.
SMEX, a Lebanese digital rights organization, also supports this view, stating that Israel could have exploited a weakness in the pagers to trigger the explosions. They believe that tampering with the devices during manufacturing or shipping is a plausible explanation, consistent with the attack’s high level of complexity.
These simultaneous pager explosions mark a significant turning point in the ongoing conflict between Hezbollah and Israel. The two have been locked in a low-intensity conflict along the Lebanese border for months, with Hezbollah firing rockets into northern Israel in retaliation for the Gaza war. The suspicion that Israel may be behind such a sophisticated and lethal operation elevates the conflict to a new level of threat.
Hackers have demonstrated the ability to inject malicious code into personal devices, causing them to overheat or malfunction. However, attacks like this one in Lebanon, involving so many devices at once, are rare and require not only advanced cyber knowledge but also meticulous execution, likely involving multiple layers of intelligence and covert operations.
As investigations continue, Lebanon and Hezbollah are grappling with the devastating consequences of the attack, which has not only caused significant human and material losses but also severely crippled Hezbollah’s communication network. While formal responsibility has yet to be attributed, the shadow of Israeli involvement looms large over the incident, potentially marking a dangerous escalation in the already tense relationship between the two nations.